MATERIALS FOR NEW AND PROSPECTIVE HANDICAPPED ENTERPRENEURS.

THE PHASE I EFFORT IS TO ESTABLISH THE TECHNICAL MERIT AND FEASIBILITY OF USING VOICE MESSAGING TECHNOLOGY AS AN INST INSTRUCTIONAL TOOL FOR TRAINING HANDICAPPED PEOPLE WHO DE DESIRE TO START A BUSINESS OF THEIR OWN. THE HYPOTHESIS OF THE STUDY IS: USING VOICE MESSAGING TECHNOLOGY, IT IS POSSIBLE TO DEVELOP AN EFFECTIVE TRAINING PROGRAM FOR A NATIONWIDE AUDIENCE OF NEW AND FUTURE HANDICAPPED ENTREP RENEURS, PREPARING THEM TO ENTER THE BUSINESS WORLD. OUR WORK PLAN INCLUDES: (1) DEVELOPMENT OF A SAMPLE TRAINING "PACKAGE" OF AUDIO TAPES, WHICH, WHEN SUPPLEMENTED WITH WH WRITTEN REVIEW MATERIALS AND A NETWORK OF "ON CALL" BUSINESSEXPERTS AND EDUCATORS, WILL TRAIN NEW AND ASPIRING DISABLED ENTERPRENEURS; (2) DEVELOPMENT AND OPERATION OF AN IN-HOUSE TRIAL SYSTEM, INTERGRATING "VOICE MESSAGING TECHNOLOGY" WITH THE SAMPLE TRAINING PACKAGE; (3) EVALUATION OF THE TECH1862 TECHNOLOGY WITH THE TRAINING PACKAGE; AND (4) IDENTIFICATIONOF SPECIFIC POSSIBILITIES OF PROSPECTIVE CAPITAL COMMITMENTSFOR COMMERICAL APPLICATIONS OF THE SYSTEM. ONCE THE SYSTEM MIS SHOWN TO HAVE TECHNICAL MERIT AND FEASIBILITY, WE ANTICIPATE, DURING PHASE II: (1) DEVELOPING A COMPRE HENSIVE BUSINESS TRAINING PROGRAM, AND (2) INTEGRATING THE TRAINING PROGRAM WITH A FULLY OPERATIONAL VOICE MESSSSS AGING SYSTEM.